^20 THE A'ICTORIAN NATURALIST. [Vol. XXIli. 



After about an hour's collecting in this way, the leader 

 classified the animals into groups of common kinship, and 

 explained thei'r anatomy, life-histories, and peculiar habits, 

 in which Mr. Leach assisted. It was seen that all the 

 larger groups of invertebrate animals were represented. 

 After some further searching by the party, they were 

 taken to a different place, and consideration was given to 

 certain crustaceans — crabs, shrimps, and shore-hoppers. 



Showers of rain continuitig to fall, the party adjourned 

 to one of the large marquees, where jMr. Sayce explained 

 various methods of permanently preserving invertebrate 

 animals, and showed examples. Also he exhibited some 

 animals he had dredged up in the bay not far off — for 

 instance, some "masking crabs" that clothed themselves 

 with sea-weed by snipping off pieces and attaching these 

 to hooks on the surface of their body and legs. He said 

 they clothed and unclothed themselves to match their en- 

 vironment, so as to make the purpose of hiding themselves 

 from predatory animals effective under altering conditions. 

 Other masking-crabs were shown that had specially modi- 

 fied hind legs to enable them to hold a sponge or shell 

 over their backs and walk about without attracting notice. 



In the afternoon, further work was done on the shore. 

 A piece of reef -building coral of the species found living 

 in a few places, but of small extent, in our bay, led to a 

 chat about what is thought about the formation of coral 

 islands. The leader stated that they are mostly inhabi- 

 tants of warm, shallow seas, and our species is but a rem- 

 nant left to struggle on against adverse circumstances. 

 Their relation to the solitary corals (a fossil species picked 

 up being shown), sea-anemones, and hydroids Avas given. 



PORT PHILLIP INVERTEBRATES AND THEIR 

 INLAND RELATIONS. 



By 0. A. Sayce, Demonstrator of Bacteriology, 

 Melbourne University. 



On Monday evening, a lecture was given by ^Nlr. Sayce, 

 illustrated with lantern slides, entitled " Comparison of 

 some Port Phillip Invertebrate Animals with their Inland 

 Relations." He pointed out the peculiar vicissitudes to 

 which animals at the shoTo were exposed as compared 

 with land and fresh-water forms,, and spoke of it as the 

 place at which many adaptations and varieties of forms 

 had originated, and very many of the great lessons of 



